Motion-picture machine and the like



A. S. HOWELL MOTION PICTURE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed March 30, 1923 3Sheets-Shoat 1 Aug. 31 1926.

' 1,598,444 A. s. HOWELL MOTION PICTURE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Marchso. 1923 I s Shoots-Shut 2 29 fig-5 4e J a; a] .1. 7. .wlf as f M p v 49lhufliarw- Q/erl 6 flaw/Z Aug. 31 1926. 1,598,444

' A. s. HOWELL IOTICN PICTURE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed March 30, 19233 Shoots-Shoat :5

Patented Aug. i 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT s. HOWELL, or cnrcaoo, IiLINOIS, assmnon 'ro mm. a nowam. conirm,

01'' 011101100, rumors, A coaroaarron or rumors MOTION-PICTURE MACHINEAND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 30, 1923. Serial No. 628,862.

My invention relates particularly to motion picture projecting machinesand the like involving the use ofelectrically energized devices althoughnot limited to this use alone.

In the use of motion picture machines and the like involving the use ofelectrically energized devices it is common to provide electric currentcontrolling resistances either fixed or variable for controlling thecurrent to the electrical devices particularly for reducing the currentthereto. The resistances usually employed, ordinarily separate from themachines, are large and cumbersome and usually become quite hot inoperation. Their use with portable machines is particularlydisadvantageous.

Generally the features of my invention relate to the provision in amotion picture machine or the like involving the use of electricallyenergized devices and an electric current controlling resistance meanswith a view toward providing a compact, practical, efficient, simplyoperated and controlled machine complete in itself and dispensing withthe usual resistances and attendant disadvantages.

With these features in view my invention consists'in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts bywhich the said features and certain other features are effected, all asfully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings Figure 1 is a partial top plan view of a motionpicture projecting machine with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a partial section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a partial side elevation of the lamp chamber with the coverof -the terminal chamber, hereinafter described, broken away.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuit connections of themachine. 1

Figure 6 is a top plan view'of the resistance unit hereinafter.described.v '1 Figure 7 is a bottom plan view ,of theresistance unit.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the'various views.

In the said drawings 1 designates a lamp chamber at one side of whichand formed integrally. therewith is an electric driving motor housing 2.See Fig. 1. The front of the lamp chamber and motor housing is faced ina transverse plane, and secured against this face and extending in frontof the lamp chamber and motor housing is an air chamber casing 3 formingan air chamher 4 extending across the front of the lamp chamber andmotor casing. An electric driving motor 5 is disposed within the motorcasing 2 with its shaft 6 extending forwardly through the air chamberinto a gear casing 6, secured to the front of the air chamber casing,for driving the film feeding mechanism and light shutter associated withthe gear casing.

The air chamber 4 communicates with the lamp chamber through openings 7in the lamp chamber casing for the passage of air from the air chamberinto the lamp chamber and upwardly therethrough. See Figs. 1 and 3. Acentrifugal air impeller is disposed within the air chamber 4 andcomprises a web 8 secured at the rear end of a hub member 9, which issecured to the motor shaft 6, and impeller blades 11 formed from theweb. See Figs. 1 and 2. The blades 11 throw the air outwardl duringrotation of. the motor shaft, the air eing drawn through openings 12 inthe motor casmg and through the openings of a spider formation 13 whichsupports a bearing 14 of .the motor shaft at the front end ofthe motor.The air chamber casing around the impeller is formed eccentricallytherewith to direct the air thrown from the impeller blades into theportion of the air chamber in front of-the lamp chamber, and the mainportion of the air current passes therefrom through the openings 7 intothe lamp chamber 2 and upwardly therethrough, and discharges at the topthereof.

The lamp chamber 2 has intermediate front light opening therein into theair chamber and a condensing lens 15 is mounted in said light opening onan axis extend ing forwardly and rearwar-dly, and an incandesclentelectric lamp 16 having a concentrated filament is mounted in the lampchamher in alinement with the condensing lens. The light passesforwardly from the condensing lens through an opening 17 in a transversefront partition wall 18 of the air toward the motor shaft and adeflecting blade 19 is associated therewith for conducting a portion ofthe air current from the air chamber 4 upon the film at a light opening21, alined with the condensing lens of an intermittent film food guide22 disposed in front of the wall18. See Fig. 2.

The machine hereinabove partially described is fully described andclaimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 572170, liled July1,1922, for improvement in mo tion picture projecting machines and thelike, and further description herein is unnecessary.

The top of the lamp chamber is formed by an inverted cup shaped bodypart 23 of insulating material having the transverse wall thereofperforated, as indicated at 24, for the passage of the air currenttherethrough. See Figs. 3, 6, and 7. This top part 23 is removablyattached to the main portion of the lamp chamber casingby means ofheaded screws 25 extending through holes in the body part 23 andscrewthreaded into the lamp chamber casing. Suspended in the body part23 are two sections 26 of coiled nichrome resistance wire havingsubstantially the same resistance and extending back and forth acrossthe enclosure of the body part and having sections 27 disposed in spacedplanes and sections 28 extending between and connecting sections ofdifferent planes. This arrangement of the resistance wire provides forthe free passage of air thereby and the dissipation of a large amount ofheat therein, and at the same time permits of a Very compactarrangement. The resistance wire is supported by spaced metal anchorhooks 29 secured in the body part 23 and supporting the wire at the endsof the extending sections thereof. The sections 26 of the resistancewire are disposed on respective sides of a diameter of the body part 23and the inner ends of their coiled portions are supported on one of theanchor hooks 29 from which the adjacent ends 31 of the wires extenddownwardly. A pair of screw terminals 32 are mounted on the body part 23interiorly thereof and adjacent the mouth of the body part, and thedownwardly extending ends 31 are clamped in one of these screwterminals, thus connecting the two sections of resistance wire at theirinner ends. The extreme outer ends of the two sections 26 of resistancewire extend downwardly from the last outer anchor hooks and one of theseends extends across, as designated at 33, below the extending sectionsof the resistance wire and is clamped in the other screw terminal 32.The extreme outer end of the other section 26 of resistance wire extendsacross, as designated at 34, below the extending sections of theresistance wire and is twisted upon the extending end 33, thus forming aconnection therewith. The two sections 26 of resistance wire are thusconnected in parallel to effect a relatively large amount of radiatingsurface, and whereby, where as in the present case the resistancefunctions to reduce the current to the lamp 16, lamps differing incurrent characteristics to a considerable extent may be used interchangeably without injury to the lamps or resistance. In operation the aircurrent passing upwardly through the lamp chamber dissipates heat fromboth the lamp and resistance and maintains both at proper operatingtemperatures, and by reason of the air current striking the lamp firstno heat is transmitted to the lamp from the resistance.

N ichrome resistance wire is extremely well adapted for the purposebecause of its high electric-a1 resistance and its resistance tooxidation or disintegration.

The lam 16 is mounted in a socket facing upwar ly in the lamp chamber 1at the bottom thereof. The socket proper and the base of the lampadapted therefor are fully described and claimed in my co-pendingapplication, Serial N 0. 620,821, filed February 23, 1923, forimprovement in incandescent electric lamp socket, lamp and adaptor therefor, and a detailed description is unnecessary for the present purpose.This socketcomprises a body 35 of molded insulating material into whichare molded the opposite conductive members 36 of the socket. Aterminalchamber 37 is formed on the body 35, and the terminal chamber isprovided with a cover 38 removably secured thereto. The oppositeconductive members 36 have extensions 39 formed thereon which extendinto the terminal chamber and form socket terminals 41 therein. A busterminal 42 is mounted in the terminal chamber. A switch 43 of usualconstruction is also mounted in the terminal chamber and is operatedinto open or closed position by an exposed knob 44. The circuitconnections are as follows. A pair of insulated conductors 45 areclamped in respective terminal screws 32 and lead downwardly therefromin the lamp chamber 1 into the terminal chamber 37 through openings inthe body 35, and one of these conductors is connected on one socket terminal 41 and the other is connected on the bus terminal 42. An insulatedconductor 46 is connected at its opposite ends to the other socketterminal 41 and to one terminal 47 of the switch 43, and an insulatedconductor 48 connects the same terminal 47 of the switch with oneterminal of the motor 5. An insulated conductor 49 connects the Innother terminal of the motor 5 with the terminal 42, and a pair ofinsulated conductors 51 are connected respectively with the other- Theabove described arrangement provides a simple and convenient wiringarrangement in which a large number of connections are concentrated inthe terminal box with obvious advantage and in which the conductors areenclosed to a large extent.

The resistance above described is connected in shunt with the lampsocket for reducing the current to the lamp 16, and the motor takes thefull current from the source 53.

The switch 43 controls the current to both the motor circuit and to thelamp and resistance circuit and opens and closes both circuits to etherwhereby an air current is maintaine throu h the air chamber and upon thelamp an resistance whenever current is passed through the lamp andresistance.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferredembodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction shown as changes may readily be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent thefollowing Claims.

'1. A motion picture machine includlng a lampchamber arranged for thepassage of air upwardly therethrough, means for maintaining a current ofair upwardly through the lamp chamber, and an electrlc currentcontrolling resistance associated with the lamp chamber above anelectric lamp therein and in circuit with the lamp and comprising coiledresistance wire suspended in the chamber and extending back and forthacross the same above the lamp for the dissipation of heat in said aircurrent.

2. A motion picture machine including a lampchamber arranged for thepassage of air upwardly therethrough, means for maintaining a current ofair upwardly through the lamp chamber, and an electric currentcontrolling resistance associated with the lamp chamber above anelectric lamp therein and in circuit with the lamp and comprising twosections of coiled nichrome wire connected in parallel and suspended inthe lam chamber abovethe lamp and extending bac and forth across thepath of said air current and having sections disposed in spaced planesand sections extending between and connecting sections of the severalplanes for the dissipation of heat in said air current.

3. The combination with a chamber arranged for the passage ofairtherethrough, of means for maintaining a current of air through thechamber, and an electric current controlling resistance comprising twosections of coiled nichrome wire connecte in arallel and suspended insaid chamber an path of said air current and having sections extendingback and forth across the disposed in spaced planes and sectionsextending between and connecting sections of the several planes.

4. A resistance including a cup shaped body part of insulating materialhaving the transverse wall thereof perforated for the passage of air,coiled nichrome resistance wire extending back and forth across theenclosure of the body part and having sections disposed in spaced planesand sections extending between and connecting sections of differentplanes, and spaced metal anchor hooks secured in the body part andsupport ing the resistance wire at the ends of the extending sectionsthereof.

5. A resistance including a cup shaped body part of insulating materialhaving thetransverse wall thereof perforatedfor the passage of air, twosections of coiled nichrome resistance wire connected in par- .allel andextending back and forth across the enclosure of the body part andhaving sections disposed in spaced planes and sections extending betweenand connecti-n sections of different planes, spaced metal anchor hookssecured in the body part and supporting the resistance wire at the endsof the extending sections thereof, and screw terminals mounted on saidbody part interiorly thereof and adjacent the mouth of the body part andforming terminals for the resistance wire.

6. The combination with an incandescent electric lamp chamber adaptedfor the passage of an air current, upwardly therethrough and providedwith a top portion of insulating material through which the air currentpasses, of coiled resistance wire in said top portion and extending backand forth across the enclosure of said top portion and having sectionsdisposed in spaced planes and sections extending, between and connectingrespective sections ofthe several planes, and a plurality of spacedmetal anchors secured in said 'top portion and supporting the resistancewire at the ends of said sections.

7. The combination with an incandescent electric lamp chamber adaptedfor the passage of an air current upwardly therethrough and providedwith a removable inverted cu shaped top portion of insulating materialaving the transverse wall thereof perforated for the, passage of the aircur-I rent therethrough, of coiled nichrome resistance wire in said topportion and extendin back and forth across the enclosure of sai topportion and having sections disposed in spaced planes and sectionsextending bed chor hooks secured to said top portionand supporting theresistance wire at the ends of said sections, and screw termmals mountedon said top portion interiorly and adjacent the mouth thereof andforming terminals for the resistance wire.

8. The combination with a lamp chamber arranged for the passage of airtherethrough, of an electric lamp socket facing in the chamber, aterminal box associated with the socket, an electric current controllingresistance associated with the lamp chamber for the dissipation of heatin an air current through the chamber, and circuit connections wherebythe resistance controls the current through a lamp in the socket andwhereby the lamp circuit is energized including conductors leading fromthe socket and resistance into the terminal box and terminals in theterminal box.

9. A motion picture machine including a lamp chamber arranged for thepassage of a current of air upwardly therethrough, an electric lampsocket facing upwardly in the chamber at the bottom thereof, a terminalchamber associated with the lamp socket, an electric current controllingresistance associated with the lamp chamber above a lamp in said socketfor the dissipation of heat in said air current, an electric motor, anair impeller driven by the motor for maintaining a current of airupwardly through said lamp chamber, a switch in said terminal chamber,and circuit connections whereby the resistance is connected in circuitwith the lamp for reducing the current thereto, and whereby the motorcircuit and lamp and resistance circuit are connected through the switchfrom a common source of electricity including conductors leading fromthe lamp, resistance, and motor into the terminal chamber and terminalsin said ter minal chamber.

10. A motion picture machine including a lamp chamber arranged for thepassage of air therethrough, an electric lamp socket facing in thechamber and comprising a body part forming a terminal chamber,extensions on the opposite conductive members of the socket extendinginto the terminal chamber and forming terminals therein, an electricdriving motor, an air impeller driven by the motor for maintaining acurrent of air through the lamp chamber, an electric current controllingresistance associated with the lamp chamber for the dissipation of heatin said air current, a switch in said terminal chamber, and circuitconnections cooperating with said extensions and terminals whereby theresistance is connected in circuit with the lamp for reducing thecurrent thereto and whereby the motor circuit and lamp and resistancecircuit are energized through the switch from a common source ofelectricity including conductors leading from the resistance and motorinto the terminal chamber.

11. A motion picture machine including a lamp chamber arranged for thepassage of air upwardly therethrough, an electric lamp socket facingupwardly'in the chamber at the bottom thereof and comprising a body partforming a terminal chamber, extensions on the opposite conductivemembers of the socket extending into the terminal chamber and formingterminals therein, an electric driving motor, an air impeller driven bythe motor formaintaining a current of air upwardly through the chamber,an electric current controlling resistance comprising nichrome wiresuspended in the lamp chamberabove a lamp in said socket for thedissipation of heat in said air current, a switch in said terminalchamber and circuit connections cooperating with saidextensions andterminals whereby the resistance is connected in circuit with saidsocket for reducin the current to the lamp in the socket and w ierebythe motor circuit and the lamp and resistance circuit are energizedthrough the switch from a common source of electricity includingconductors leading from the motor into the terminal chamber andconductors leading from the resistance downwardly in the lamp chamberinto the terminal chamber.

In witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 28th day of March,1923.

ALBERT S. HOWELL.

